Six migrants, including an infant, died early on Monday after a speedboat carrying people from Turkey collided with a Greek coast guard vessel and overturned near the island of Lesvos.
The Greek coast guard said rescuers recovered the bodies of four men, one woman and the infant about 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrilia. Eight other people survived and were taken to hospital.
Authorities arrested a 37-year-old Turkish national who was among the survivors, identifying him as the suspected smuggler and operator of the speedboat.
Greece’s Shipping Minister Vassilis Kikilias blamed migrant traffickers for the deaths. He said preliminary evidence indicated that the speedboat’s bow struck the left side of the coast guard vessel, while investigations continued to establish the exact circumstances of the collision.
“Our position is non-negotiable: zero tolerance for smugglers,” Kikilias said in a post on X.
Greece has long served as a major entry point into Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
During the 2015–2016 migration crisis, nearly one million people arrived on Greek islands, most of them travelling from Turkey.
Ojo Triumph
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